Balancing Shadows
by Tenrou Nogitsune
Summary: Zed x Akali. Rated M for language and smut. And drama. The Master of Shadows and Akali have a fated encounter in the Ionian dorms. Will Akali continue hating him for his past deeds? Or will she forgive him and fall for him? Or will she succumb to the Shadows?


**A/N: Zed x Akali. Rated M for language and smut. And drama. Not sure how long this fic will go, but that all depends on how many reviews I receive for this. Hopefully all you LoL fans will give me some insight and inspiration to continue this.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own League of Legends; Riot does. If I did, I would remove a lot of the annoying champions.**

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"Zed."

"Akali."

Several years had passed since that fateful night where Zed had sealed his fate. Now, the two met in the Ionian wing, the branch of dorms dedicated to those born of the island country. It was late at night in the lounge; few were still awake or had dozed off.

Finally, Akali blurted, "Why? Why did you do it?"

"I did what was necessary," hissed Zed, answering the implied question that had been burning in her head for many years. She was of course, referring to the night the Master of Shadows slew his master and fled the Kinkou Temple. He had been reprimanded and was to be exiled for using forbidden techniques. "The master was going to kick me out for dominating the match through superior techniques. But that doesn't matter. You loved Shen and idolized him. But he would never notice you. He has no emotions as the Eye of Twilight. He was the so called 'chosen' one. Of course I had to show him I was better!"

Frowning slightly behind her mask, Akali said, "Because you were always a bitter, angry child and always had to be in the spotlight. I am fine with being Shen's friend and follower. If you had just figured out that Master only wanted the best for you as well, rather then taking matters into your own hands, you might be more then you are now."

Growling, Zed replied, "You know that's untrue, Akali. The old man only liked Shen more because he was his son! He gave him more training than I! How could you be content with just that? Shen does not even feel anymore. You are only a comrade to that fool. He does not even see you as a friend. He suppresses his emotion. Balance is a fools master."

Sitting up on her beam and glared down at Zed, Akali spat, "Shen loved you as a brother, Master loved you as a son and you betrayed us all!You would want the world covered in shadows and darkness and destroy everything our order worked so hard to build and keep in balance. No, balance is everything and you are so blinded by your own greed for power that you can not see the love we had for you, the love we still have for you." She hops down a several feet from the shadow ninja. "You can still rejoin us, just let this darkness that rules your heart go."

Zed barks, "Your words are poison Akali! Shen always saw himself better than everyone. When we were back at the temple, you barely even acknowledged me! You always adored Shen because he had been better than I. I loved you Akali! You never even noticed." The assassin's crimson eyes burned. "I wanted the power because I was slighted by everyone because Shen was always better. That's when the Shadows whispered to me. They taught me. No technique is forbidden; a secret kept is a weapon wasted." He almost removed his helm to glare at her. "Your precious balance is what nature does by itself. It does not need mortal intervention. The goals of the Kinkou are unneeded."

Taking a deep breath as she glares back at him, Akali's expression softened slightly as she took a step closer. "I did notice you. But you were always standing in the back or training to become better then Shen. And Shen never saw himself as being better then anyone else, he only wished you had come to him and he would helped you, we all would have helped you." She takes another step closer. "And as far as me noticing you...I never felt anything for Shen, I always found you handsomer and more attractive."

The Master of Shadows curled his gauntlet covered hands into fists. His breath echoed as he spoke, "Don't act like Shen cared for me at all. The master always liked him better no matter how hard or how much I trained. I meditated and trained to exhaustion. I explored the branches of the Kinkou. But there was no technique that could help me in beating that fool. The way of the shadows gave me the speed to become greater than he ever could!" His eyes gleamed from the darkness of his mask. His voice was low, and barely audible, "Akali...if you had feelings for me, why did you not approach me? I would have accepted you. I might even have accepted being second-best to Shen. I might never even have turned to the 'forbidden techniques'."

Akali sighs softly and continues looking into his eyes through the slits in his helmet. She steps closer to him and carefully places a hand on his chest as she looks up at him. "That's exactly the reason I didn't approach you, you were always busy training until you'd pass out from exhaustion or off reading in the library or just plain gone. I would have approached you if I knew how but you always looked so...determined and standoffish. Perhaps...if you had once looked gentle enough to approach."

He stiffened as he felt her gloved hand on his chest. He glanced downward and then back up at her masked face. He practically towered over her by a good foot, maybe a foot and a half. "I had been obsessed with trying to defeat Shen." Zed closed his eyes for a moment before saying, "During all that training, I received several scars. I had always hoped you'd notice me. I trained for the sake of gaining your attention and impressing you. I thought that if I beat Shen, you and the Master would be impressed." His heart was starting to race.

Nodding slightly, Akali continues looking up at him. "You did, you did impress me. You trained harder then anyone I have ever seen, you learned to do things that no one else has learned in hundreds of years. But you did things that tarnished the admiration I had for you. You killed Master and destroyed the order, all to impress me and Master. If you had come to us instead of wanting us to come to you, things would have been different...a lot different..."

Zed retorted, "The techniques I learned made me stronger. You could have joined me. I should have asked. I might have spared the master. I did those things because of you." He had moved his hand to caress her chin, but fell back to his side. "Like I said, I felt slighted. I did not want to go to those who damaged my pride." He bit his lip inside his helm and asked, "Different...how?"

Akali sighs softly and looks down at the floor, letting her hand drop to her side. "I admired you as much as I'd admired Shen. But then you...did things...You killed the master, you destroyed the order and created your own in its place. My admiration turned to pity." She looks up at him with tears in her eyes. "Your pride stood in your way and let it get the best of you. I pity you because of that. I pity you because now...now I don't know if I could ever love you and change you...I wish i could but..." She takes a shuddering breath and turns her face away from him, a single tear streaming down her cheek to soak into her face mask.

Speaking in a dark tone, Zed said, "They rejected me once I demonstrated the powers I learned. I had finally beaten Shen. The Shadows told me to destroy the order. Looking back upon that day, I realized that hatred had consumed me that day. I regret a few things I did, but I could have never been a champion without my power. The league would never have become interested in me." He wanted her to see his face; he desired to see how time had fared him, but he could not will himself to remove the menacing helm. He hated to see her eyes welling with tears. "I have never loved anyone but you. I had focused my career as a Master." He looked up towards the rafters in frustration. He said, "I could probably never change now. I have my duty to my pupils. I...I don't think you could love a face like mine again."

"I know you could never change. You're too far gone for anyone in the order to do anything to change you...We just have to accept your teachings and rebuild the Kinkou somewhere else." She takes another shuddering breath and forces herself to look up at him. "It wasn't your face I felt attracted to, it was your determination, your discipline, and your resolve." Akali reaches up a hand and places it on the cheek of his helmet softly. "Promise me one thing, that you will leave us alone...and let us do as we see fit. We will leave you and your pupils alone so long as they do the same to ours."

"How can I trust the Kinkou? Shen wants to kill me more than anything else for what I did. Through the years, I've grown cold. But my feelings for you have kept me from becoming emotionless. Your were the embers in my heart, keeping the darkness at bay. Akali...I love you." Zed looked away, prepared to just leave.

She keeps her hand on his cheek. "I know. I know you love me. But give us a chance, try to be the better man and let past wrongs stay there in the past." Akali says, trying to turn his face back towards her. "Maybe some day...I could love you..."

Hesitantly, he turned back to face her. Akali still looked as beautiful since her youth, but now in an adult fashion. He felt her gloved hand on his metal cheek. He looked down at her and said, "I can do my best, keep my students from attacking. But I fear I cannot trust Shen's judgment should he find me outside the institute. His will for revenge may just supersede the dictation of the Summoner's Laws." Zed looked at her, eyes brimming with hope. He wanted to kiss her, to show her he meant his words. He could not bring himself to do so. Instead, he gripped his helm and pulled it off. It clunked to the floor as he pulled down the fibrous face mask and revealed his scarred face and long black hair.

Akali smiles slightly behind her mask and places her other hand on his chest. "That is the first step to me loving you. You are willing to let us live and rebuild the order. I will talk to Shen into leaving you alone." She says as her eyes look over his scarred visage. "You know...the scars give you a bit more character...I like it..."

Searching her eyes, looking to see if she was telling the truth, Zed was surprised at the truth in her words. It was strange, to have a woman touching him. Normally, he despised such close contact from anyone, but this was different. He simply nodded at her statement. "You...like my scars?"

She nodded slightly and strokes a finger along the scar along the side of his mouth. "Yes..." She mumbled softly as she blushes lightly. "They make you look more...distinguished."

He was clean shaven; he did not like the way stubble rubbed against fabric. He spoke softly, "Time has been kind to you Akali, far kinder than it has to me. It does not look like you've had any grievous wounds to scar your ivory skin." Zed gave a rare smile.

"Well," she began, smiling slightly and blushing a bit more as she strokes his smooth cheek with her thumb. "I have a few small scars...in places I don't normally show to other people..."

"You have other scars?" The thought saddened him to know her perfect skin was marred by healed surface wounds. "What other places?"

Akali looks away and lowers her hand to his chest. "Well...a few are in my hair...and I have one small one along my stomach."

The assassin gave her a dark look, "It...angers me when I hear that." Zed gently placed a hand on her head. He never wanted to see her being hurt. His heart was racing. He knew he should have left at this point, but he desired her in his arms. He so dearly wanted her by his side.

The Fist of Shadows blinks up at him and tilts her head slightly. "Why is that?"

He slowly answered, attempting to string the right words together, "I...it just does, Akali." He let his hands drop to his side. Closing his crimson eyes, he did not wish to give away the emotion roiling inside. Zed bit his lip and turned his head. She was so close. He could just kiss her, but he couldn't. It wouldn't be fair. "I...should go..."

Tilting her head the other way and grasping the top of his breastplate softly. "No...stay..." Akali whispered softly, blushing a bit as she does. "Stay..."

Zed stopped before he'd gone even two feet. He looked both ways down the corridor of the Institute's faction dorms. He then gazed down at Akali before asking, "Why?"

She looks down at the floor and lets her hands drop to her side. "I don't know..."

He said, "Then I should be going now." Zed returned the helm to its' proper place between his shoulders and disappeared into the shadows.

Akali sighs softly and watches him go before heading off to her own room. There were so many thoughts swirling around in her head after her unexpected meeting with the Master of Shadows. Could she truly turn him back to the Kinkou? Or was he right, that Shadows are better despite being forbidden. Perhaps she could still use the power to keep the Balance.

Xxx

Zed growled as he looked at the slip of paper taped to the outside of his door. He had another match, making it the third of the week. The assassin put on his helm and walked out to the waiting area where he would be summoned to whichever field was chosen. In the back of his mind, he hoped that he would not have to face Akali on the field. He had done so several times, but had avoided her altogether then. What transpired the previous night still boggled his mind. He had almost not slept the previous night as he tried to understand what Akali had been thinking.

Not an hour later, the masked assassin was standing in the Blue Summoning room, awaiting for transportation to Summoner's Rift. Today, it was a match between Ionia and Noxus. It was to settle the prisoners of war. The victors would have theirs returned safe and sound. Three other champions had arrived; Kennen, Lee Sin and Irelia.

Only five minutes passed before the last member of the five man team strode in through the double doors. Standing tall and proud, stood Akali. Unknown to the rest of the team, Zed was very surprised. The Summoners knew Shen, Akali and Zed didn't work well together, but they seemingly made an exception this time.

"Akali?" came his surprised query.

**How was the first chapter? I hope it wasn't too bad.**


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